Border Crossing
by curiousfan
Summary: Border's present themselves in many forms.  We move across them throughout our lives and while some are easily crossed, they often are just as easily forgotten.  But Kyoya is about to learn it's the frightening ones that sometimes change your life.
1. Chapter 1

Border Crossing

Haruhi leaned against one of the tall windows in Music Room Number Three and watched the skies carefully. Rain pelted the glass as it fell in uneven angles outside and the wind blew the late summer leaves from their branches. The storm had come upon them suddenly and the picnic the Host Club had planned for their guests had been rushed indoors in a flurry of picnic blankets, wayward food, and panicked laughter. At the very least they had plenty of desserts. Honey had seen to their protection early on.

As of yet the storm hadn't let out so much as a peep of thunder, but she felt the anxiety all the same. The host club knew of her fear of course, but it was Tamaki who was keeping the closest eye on her. So much so he was neglecting his guests. Of course, she was guilty of the same.

"Haruhi-sempai, are you okay?" asked Kamiko. She was a first year, but the most outspoken of Haruhi's regular customers.

Remembering her guests, she glanced over to Tamaki and gave him a reassuring nod before settling her attention on the six girls sharing her picnic blanket. She smiled and gave a small shrug of her shoulders as she settled back down on the floor.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking though Kamiko-chan. I've just never liked storms." Haruhi said simply. It wasn't the whole truth but it was close enough. The girls around her nodded in agreement though Haruhi suspected their dislike for storms had more to do with their hairstyles then the incapacitating clap of thunder.

The rest of the hour was relatively uneventful as host club events went. The twins entertained their guests by doing something borderline indecent with a spoonful of whip cream, Honey cried over the loss of an artisan strawberry cake lost to the storm, and Tamaki fed truffles to his guests by his own hand, causing two of them to faint and another three to lapse into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Haruhi served her guests as simply and naturally as she always did. Despite the fact most of the girls in her group had low grade crushes on her, she found herself enjoying her time with them. And while there was a certain irony to the fact she related the best to her own gender while dressed as a boy, she had learned to shrug it off. Such was life.

Soon the hour was up and the girls began to pick up and disperse, waving shyly at their chosen hosts as they left. Outside, the storm hadn't let up at all. Haruhi strayed over to the window again, frowning at the falling rain and the darkened skies. Tamaki joined her at the window and looked across the courtyard.

"It's not getting better is it?" he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

Haruhi shook her head. "I think I might study in the library until it blows over. I don't want to walk in this."

Haruhi realized her mistake too late as Tamaki's eyes lit up in anticipation of coming to her rescue. Gathering her bridal style into his arms, he pranced around the room.

"Fear not fair maiden!" he said gleefully. "You will be whisked away to safety in the finest carriage available. Never shall a single drop of rain touch your shoes or fall upon your lovely hair. For is it not I who-"

He was brought to an abrupt halt by Kyoya, who had taken a hold of Tamaki's collar. Haruhi took her chance and jumped out of his arms. Her and Tamaki might have declared their love, but it didn't mean his antics failed to embarrass her most of the time.

"I'm afraid your chivalry will have to wait." Kyoya said simply.

Tamaki looked stricken. "But why?" he whined.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "You don't remember?" he asked darkly.

Now Tamaki looked a bit frightened. "Well, no…"

"Five phone calls, three emails, and one embossed note card informing you of this event and you don't remember?" he asked calmly.

Now the rest of the club was gathering. When Kyoya used the tone he was taking with Tamaki it usually made for good entertainment at the hosts king's expense. Haruhi however, was not in the mood for it.

"What's the event Kyoya-senpai?" she asked. Kyoya glanced down at her with a vague look of disappointment but answered all the same.

"Club financial review. Once a year the chairman sits down with each club and discusses their earnings and losses of the previous year." He looked at Tamaki over the rims of his glasses. "You've done this three times already."

Tamaki grinned sheepishly. "Opps?"

Kyoya frowned then looked from Haruhi to Tamaki and back. He sighed and pushed up his glasses. "It would be easier if I did it on my own. Take Haruhi home Tamaki."

Now Tamaki was looking guilty. The emotion didn't last long however as a bright smile lit up his face. He threw his arm around Kyoya's shoulders. "You do all the work Mother. I think it's about time we shared this experience with the children! Come everyone," he said with a flourish towards the door.

"Yay! Let's go Tama-chan." Honey said, hopping onto Mori's shoulders with ease.

The twins skipped out the door together singing an off-key rendition of "To Grandfather's House We Go." while Tamaki pushed a protesting Haruhi out the door.

Kyoya watched them leave then smiled to himself. "Like clockwork." He muttered.

Anticipating Tamaki's forgetfulness he had set up a meeting the previous week with the chairman and had thoroughly reviewed the clubs finances. Today was simply an excuse for the Chairman to spend time with and hopefully manage to embarrass his son. Kyoya opened his phone and dialed Tamaki's father.

"He's on his way. With the entirety of the club might I add."

"Wonderful! Well done, per usual Kyoya-san." The Chairman praised.

Surprised by the usage of the honorific, but not about to reveal it, Kyoya politely thanked him and closed his phone as left the music room.

On his way to the Chairman's office was delayed however, as he was met by a large group of students gathered in the main foyer of the school. He joined his fellow club members on the periphery of the crowd. He grabbed Tamaki's jacket collar as he moved to circumvent the gathering.

"Let's go."

Tamaki resisted by grabbing a hold of Mori, who stood unmovable as an oak. "But we must see what's happening!" he protested.

Kyoya tightened his grip. "We have an appointment with the Chairman." He said.

Tamaki continued to squirm. "But this might be important."

"More important than a meeting with your father?" Kyoya asked.

Tamaki thought for a moment. "Well…it might be something he would need to know about."

Kyoya raised his brows. It was a rare day when a logical answer was given by the Host Club king.

"Like the Prime Minister!" Tamaki continued. Kyoya sighed.

"I doubt we are hosting the Prime Minister without the Chairman's advanced knowledge. But I suppose we should investigate." He said, loosening his hold.

"Quickly." He added after seeing Tamaki's face light up.

Kaoru and Hikaru were already parting the crowd and making their way to the center. Tamaki rushed to catch them as Mori, with Honey on his shoulders, followed. Kyoya stayed behind with Haruhi.

She looked up at him. "What do you suppose is happening?"

Kyoya shrugged. "I imagine we will know soon enough." He said.

Haruhi studied her friend for a moment. His eyes drooped a bit, as they often did when he lost interest. It was an expression she had been noticing on him a lot more lately. The Shadow King, it seemed, was a bit bored. She supposed she could understand. Kyoya was five months into his final year of high school and had overtaken every challenge presented to him thus far. He had made a success of the Host Club, helped to reunite Tamaki with his mother, and had even come to an odd sort peace with his place in his family. Despite Kyoya's obvious genius, there were certain boundaries high school presented that could only be breached by graduation. For the moment he was being forced to idle and Haruhi suspected he was not enjoying it.

The crowd was beginning to press around them and Haruhi began to hear snippets of conversation as they were inevitably pushed forward.

"..foreigner.."

"…so tall…"

"..look at her hair!"

Kyoya and Haruhi looked at each other in slight confusion before Tamaki's voice rang out above the crowd.

"My fair foreign princess, welcome to our lands…"

Kyoya swore under his breath and pushed his way through the crowd with Haruhi close on his heels. With Tamaki's luck the visitor was an important investor or foreign dignitary. If anyone at this school was capable of accidently inciting some sort of international incident, it was him.

The scene that met their eyes was worse than they thought. Tamaki had begun a deep bow over the visitors' hand, while the twins had positioned themselves on either side of her. It was only a matter of time before they did something inappropriate.

The visitor herself was facing away from them, but it wasn't difficult for Haruhi to read confusion and wariness in her posture. Her classmates had been right, the newcomer was indeed tall. Haruhi guessed she would stand only a handful of centimeters below Kyoya in her stocking feet. Her golden hair was gathered into a loose twist at the nape of her neck, but a few tendrils had managed to escape and fell in soft curls which brushed her jawline.

The students pressed in around her, eager to get a better look. Haruhi couldn't blame them. Ouran was an elite school and there were a few foreign students of course, but a westerner was a bit of a novelty. Add the Host Club to the mix and there was no way the newcomer was going to slip about unnoticed.

"Well, thank you, I suppose…" she said in Japanese. It took Haruhi a moment to pin down the accent. American. To her knowledge, Ouran had never had an American guest. Not among the students anyway. She was sure the Chairman met with investors from all manner of countries on a regular basis, but none had ever ventured out into the bowels of the school.

Intrigued as she was, it wasn't until she looked over to Kyoya that her eyes widened in surprise. He had frozen in place, his gaze focused and alert. He was staring at the visitor, who was currently trying to find a polite way to remove her hand from Tamaki before he kissed it.

Kyoya opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Haruhi watched as he swallowed hard and opened his mouth again. When he spoke, it was one word, but there was something in his tone she couldn't quite place.

"Rachel?"

The girl turned and searched the crowd momentarily before locking her blue eyes onto the Host Clubs' Shadow King.

"Kyoya?"


	2. Chapter 2

There was an intense moment as Kyoya and Rachel stared at each other in disbelief. The foyer had abruptly turned silent as every eye in the crowd focused on the two at its center but Tamaki had dropped Rachel's hand and was watching Kyoya thoughtfully.

Haruhi's attention however, was drawn to the twins. She knew the look they were giving each other and guessed it was only a matter of a few seconds before they intervened. There was something about Kyoya's demeanor that told her he wouldn't appreciate their particular brand of mischief at the moment. Stepping forward she placed herself in a position between the twins and Kyoya.

"I'm sorry Sempai, but didn't we have a meeting with the Chairman?" she asked.

The reminder was enough to cut through Kyoya's surprise. He nodded to Haruhi as he pushed up his glasses.

"Of course. Thank you Haruhi." He said before walking straight to Rachel, taking her elbow and maneuvering her away from the twins. "You must be looking for the Chairman's office as well. Allow me to escort you miss." He said to her.

The looked she gave him was a mixture of amusement and perplexity, but she complied, nodding to the other students before allowing him to guide her through the astonished crowd. The Host Club followed, with Tamaki and Haruhi sharing a questioning look before rounding the corner. The silence in the foyer held until the last host was out of site and then burst into a round of hushed whispers. Kyoya was sure he didn't want to hear the various explanations they were coming up with. There were few things in this world more creative than an ill informed group of teenagers.

Halfway to the Chairman's office he spared a glance to his companion. She barely moved her head but even at this angle he could see the smile she was suppressing. She glanced over and quirked her brows before returning her attention ahead. The Chairman's office about twenty meters away when Kyoya suddenly turned the two of them to an empty classroom to their right. He turned to Tamaki.

"I'm afraid I will not be joining you today." He said.

Tamaki looked panicked. "But I don't know what to present!"

Kyoya sighed. "You won't have too. Your father set this up as a ruse to see you. I went over the club finances with him last week."

"But…" Tamaki said, looking over to Rachel and back to Kyoya who pushed him towards the Chairman's double door office. "Go." He glared to the rest of the club. "All of you."

For a brief second Tamaki seemed as though he would protest again, but he suddenly changed his mind and cast his arms out wide, as though enveloping the rest of the group. "Come all. The ruler of our fine school has requested our presence and we should not disappoint him."

He made a deep bow to Rachel. "Princess." He said before pushing the twins away from the classroom. Kyoya watched them for a brief second before opening the door for Rachel.

As soon as the two slipped inside, Tamaki found himself prisoner of the Hitachin twins. "Boss," they whispered. "Shouldn't we keep an eye on them?"

Tamaki shook his head. "Kyoya wants to be left alone. I think we should honor that."

Honey and Mori stepped forward. "I agree with Tama-chan. We should leave them alone." Mori grunted his agreement.

The twins looked to each other, then grinned. "You can do what you want." Hikaru began.

"But we're going to take a look." Kaoru finished.

The brothers crept to the large door of the classroom, though in reality there was no need. Ouran's classrooms had been designed with the most exacting of standards and included a certain degree of soundproofing. As Kaoru opened the door slightly, Hikaru clamped his hand over a protesting Tamaki's mouth. This was soon unnecessary, as Tamaki's innate curiosity trumped his moral reservations. Out of habit, the rest of the Host Club followed suit, peering through the crack of the wide door.

Kyoya and Rachel were perched opposite each other on a wide bay window at the far corner of the room. Haruhi had always felt classrooms of Ouran more resembled a social club than a place of learning. They certainly didn't resemble any classroom she had ever been in before coming to this surreal school. Still, the teachers were top notch, so it made it easier for her commoners mind to forgive the lavish surroundings.

Watching the two at the window, Haruhi had to admire how the room complimented them. Kyoya sat at the end of the window seat, legs crossed casually while Rachel's dove gray pencil skirt confined her to a more rigid position at the seats edge. There was nothing rigid or hard about the rest of her though. Haruhi may have ignored the finer points of her own gender, but even she had to admit, Rachel was lovely. Her blue eyes stood in contrast to her clear skin and while she didn't seem to be wearing any make up, there was a becoming rose flush to her cheeks. As for the rest of her, well…Haruhi knew she'd never come close to having the same…attributes. And wasn't sure she'd ever want to. She knew the kind of looks girls like her endured walking down the street.

Tuning into their conversation, she was surprised to hear Rachel conversing in Japanese. It was a bit formal and she stumbled occasionally over some of the more complicated pronunciations, but it was still a far cry better than the horrible ways tourists on the streets repeatedly butchered her language.

"You should have told me you were coming." Kyoya was saying.

"But we weren't even planning on being in Japan, much less Tokyo. The symposium was scheduled to be held in Hong Kong." Rachel said.

"What happened?"

"The government kept putting restrictions on what we could discuss. It was moved to Tokyo at the last minute." Rachel said.

Kyoya frowned.

"I would have come to Hong Kong regardless. Did you think I wouldn't?"

There was a long pause as he stood and leaned against the window.

"I didn't want you to feel an obligation." Rachel eventually answered.

"I would have appreciated having the choice. And incidentally, visiting a friend hardly an obligation for me."

"I'll hold you to that." She said before breaking into a wide smile. "It's good to see you Kyoya."

She looked up at him. "You got tall."

Kyoya smirked. "After four years, I would certainly hope so."

Rachel shook her head. "Has it really been that long?"

"I remember you having pigtails."

Rachel raised a hand to her hair. "I don't miss those. They kept getting singed in the lab."

Kyoya sat back down. "Speaking of. I've been following you and your fathers work. Quite impressive. Are you as close as the medical journals are hinting at?"

She looked up at him with a brief, careful look in her eye. "Am I speaking to the Ootori foundation right now, or you?"

Kyoya didn't seem to be bothered by the question. "Me."

She smiled again. "In that case, we're already there. We've had successful trials on animals. That's been published. What hasn't is the ten human trials we've done."

"Success rate?"

"One hundred percent, thus far. One man suffered an infection, but it was minor and we think it was a result of poor surgery sanitation. We're investigating."

Kyoya nodded. "Then what's keeping you from moving forward into the public sphere?"

Rachel's smile faded. "Cost. Thanks to our family fortune and investments, we've been able to do our research how we've wanted, but currently it's an expensive process and if it moves out into the public realm now, only the rich will be able to afford it. If we hold off a bit longer, we think that we can find a way to grow the tissues in an affordable and safe manner. We can help more people. Besides, statistically it's the lower incomes that have more health concerns. Heart disease, diabetes, renal failure. Imagine if we could give someone enlisted in Medicare a new kidney right from the start, grown from his own tissues, and keep him off dialysis from day one?"

"The savings to your government would astronomical." Kyoya agreed.

Rachel nodded. "I know waiting is a bit of a gamble, but we think it's going to pay off in the long run. The world certainly doesn't need a bigger gap between the rich and poor."

Kyoya leaned forward and lowered his voice to an extent that Haruhi and the others had to hold their breaths to hear it. "And do the Naturalist's have anything to do with why you're holding back?"

Rachel looked up sharply. "How do you know about that?"

"You thought I wouldn't be keeping tabs?"

"Not that closely." She said. She waved her hand dismissively. "They're nothing. A fringe group."

"I've heard they been recruiting quite well."

"I'm not worried about a group that thinks calculators are an abomination."

"Fanatics are dangerous Rachel."

"Not these people. They're annoying. Nothing more." She answered, with a tone of finality. Kyoya frowned, but didn't respond.

It was in the brief ensuing silence that Tamaki sneezed. It startled Haruhi to such an extent her head jerked upwards, hitting Kaoru in the chin. He yelped and flung one hand out to the side, hitting Hikaru, who in turn stumbled from the half crouch he was in and knocked Haruhi off her feet. The entire Host Club moved to catch her, resulting in the lot of them tumbling through the door and onto the floor of the classroom.

As they groaned and attempted to move off each other, Kyoya stood and calmly motioned to the flailing heap.

"Rachel, may I introduce the Ouran Host Club."

She stood to her feet slowly, joining Kyoya at his side. Eventually Haruhi and the others found their footing. Tamaki recovered first and after seeing to Haruhi, gave Rachel another formal bow.

"Once again, I welcome you to our school Princess." He said.

Rachel hid a smile while giving him a formal bow in return. "It's nice to meet you."

"Rachel, this is Tamaki, Haruhi, Kaoru and Hikaru. The tall one behind them is Mori, and Honey is on his shoulders." Kyoya said, pointing to each person in turn.

Rachel gave another bow then looked to Kyoya. "They're just as you described them." She said.

Tamaki looked stricken. "Mother, you've been gossiping about your family behind our backs? Father is very hurt."

Rachel's brows shot up. "Mother?" she asked Kyoya, not bothering to hide her grin.

Kyoya frowned. "Don't ask. And Tamaki, I don't see how my conversations are your concern."

"But she knows about us and we've never even heard of her." Kaoru pointed out.

"Kyoya has only mentioned you in passing. I've put together the pieces on my own. I promise you, I've been told no secrets. Just enough to put names with faces." Rachel hastened to explain.

Kyoya turned to Tamaki. "If I'm not mistaken, you have a meeting with your father you're now late to."

Tamaki opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the ringing of a cell phone. Rachel's, as it turned out. She gave them an apologetic look before answering, then commenced a rapid conversation in English as the others struggled to sort out her words. English was required in school, and while all of them could read and write quite well in it, conversations were difficult. All their tutors, when teaching them how to speak it, used clear and precise pronunciations and of course used none of the shortcuts and slang Rachel was employing. Only Kyoya and Haruhi seemed to understand what she was saying.

"You're leaving." He said as she hung up and turned back towards the group.

"I'm sorry. There's been another snag in the symposium schedule and they're calling all the presenters back for the day." She said.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Kyoya said and her face brightened.

"You'll come?"

"I would have come to Hong Kong." He said directly, causing her to look away in embarrassment before fishing through her small purse and pulling out a business card.

"We're here, in the basement. I'll be presenting at one."

Kyoya quirked his brows. "Basement?"

She rolled her eyes. "It was all we could manage at the last minute, don't be a snob."

He tucked the card into his pocket. "What time will you be leaving your hotel? I'll—" There was a non-so-subtle cough from the host club. Kyoya sighed. "pardon, _we'll_ pick you up."

"That's not necc—"

"What time?" He interrupted. She gave him a long look before sighing and giving up.

"Eleven." She handed him another card. "Here's where I'm staying."

He grinned. "Good." He said, pulling out his own phone. "Arata will drive you to the symposium grounds today."

"Really Kyoya, I can get a taxi."

The look he gave her before speaking with his driver made her throw up her hands in defeat. "Fine." She said before murmuring something rather impolite in English.

He hung up and turned to Tamaki. "I'm going to escort her out. I'll meet you in the Chairman's office in a few minutes."

Tamaki slapped his hands over each of the twins mouths before nodding to the two. "I look forward to seeing you in your element tomorrow Princess." He said as he escorted the twins to the door, with the rest of the club in tow. Haruhi turned and waved her goodbyes as they filed out the door.

"They're fun." She said.

"It's one word for it." Kyoya said as they walked down the hall. "They keep me occupied."

She didn't respond as they passed through the foyer. Thankfully, with the exception of a few after school stragglers, it was empty. They passed through wide double doors and saw Arata waiting by an idling black car in the courtyard with an umbrella. Kyoya turned to Rachel.

"Tomorrow then?" he asked.

She nodded. "At eleven." She said before giving him a thoughtful look. "You know, I think you're doing your friends an injustice. I think they've done more than just keep you occupied these past few years."

Kyoya met her eyes. "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged. "You're smiling more." She said simply before turning to the car. Arata rushed up the steps to meet her. She gave Kyoya a parting smile. "It's a nice look for you." She said.

Kyoya watched her descend the steps and slip into the vehicle. As they drove way he pushed up his glasses, turned to the school and began routinely tapping his I-Pad. He was halfway inside before he stopped and looked up, catching a glimmer of red tail lights in the distance.

"You're beautiful." He murmured, before turning his back and slipping inside the school.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day found Kyoya wedged between the Hitachin brothers on the way to Rachel's hotel. The two had insisted upon riding with him and were making a nuisance of themselves', per usual. Kyoya halfway wished Tamaki had chosen this car and not the other. He was usually a good distraction and target for the two misfits. Regrettably, he had climbed in after Haruhi when they had picked her up at her apartment and Kyoya had not seen hide or hair of him since. And he wouldn't until the convention. Tamaki and the others were going to go ahead and ensure them all seats since apparently this particular convention had an annoying first come first serve policy when it came to seating.

"Traffic's bad today." Kaoru commented from his right.

Kyoya looked out the window and agreed. The cars were slowly making their way through downtown Tokyo towards Rachel's hotel. It was already 10:45am, but Kyoya had faith Arata would ensure their timely arrival. His family didn't hire former military specialists for nothing.

On his left, Hikaru leaned forward with a grin. "So, are you nervous?"

Kyoya gave him a blank look. "In all the time we've known one another, is nervousness a trait you would assign to me?"

"No," Kaoru said, "but we've never seen you with a girl before."

"You've seen me with more girls than you count." Kyoya said.

"Hosting. Hikaru corrected. "Completely different. We can't wait to see you around a girlfriend."

Kyoya sighed. "Is that why you wanted to come today? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Rachel is hardly a romantic attachment."

The twins didn't look convinced. "Is that so?" They said in unison.

"Indeed. Rachel's family, more specifically her father, is a long time acquaintance of the Ootori foundation. I've known her since we were children." Kyoya answered, returning to his I-pad.

Kaoru's expression changed. "How old were you?"

"Ten. She was eleven at the time."

"She's only a year older?" Kaoru asked incredulously.

"A few months, technically. But she never missed an opportunity to remind me of the fact."

"I guess we can take her off the cradle-robbing list." Hikaru said to his brother. Kaoru shrugged.

"How would we know? Westerner's ages are hard to guess." Kaoru replied. He turned to Kyoya.

"So what was she like as a kid?"

Kyoya turned off his I-pad, giving up on it for the moment. There was no working around the twins. He had spent enough time with them to know that ignoring them would only add fuel to the fire of their curiosity. Best to give them some answers, preferably vague ones.

He thought about Kaoru's question for a second then answered. "Precocious."

Kaoru's eyebrow quirked as he looked to Hikaru. "I think the Shadow King is trying to avoid us."

Hikaru grinned. "I agree."

Kyoya was spared their oncoming verbal assault by Arata's announcement of their arrival. As they entered the lobby of the clean, traditional, but undeniably modest hotel, the twins looked to him in confusion.

"Is Rachel a commoner?" they asked.

Kyoya held back a grin at the thought. Rachel could trace her ancestry back to the first settlers of the new world. By American equivalence, she was practically nobility. "Hardly." He said as he brushed past them to the reception desk.

"Rachel Bramms please." He said and received her room number in return. Hikaru and Kaoru followed in his wake to the elevators.

"If she's got money then why the Spartan digs?" Hikaru asked bluntly.

Kyoya shrugged. "Rachel has her own set of priorities. Lodging is not one of them. This was probably the most convenient location for her. It's only a ten minute walk from the convention."

"If that's the case, then remind me why we're picking her up?" Kaoru asked.

"Because I told her I would." Kyoya said as the elevator opened. "And might I remind you both I never had any intention of bringing you along."

"We know." The two grinned as they followed him down the hall.

They came to a stop at room 202 and Kyoya knocked crisply on the door. From the other side he thought he heard a muffled sound, but no one came to the door. He frowned, and knocked again. As before, no one came.

"Is it the right room?" Kaoru asked.

"Maybe she already left?" Hikaru suggested.

Kyoya frowned. "No. She may have not liked that I was picking her up, but she would have waited and we're not late."

He knocked again. "Rachel?" he said. "It's me."

There was another muffled sound and the sound of something crashing inside. Kyoya's frown deepened. "Rachel?" he said loudly. He tried the knob, only to find it locked. Not necessarily unusual as many hotel room doors locked automatically. But then came the scream.

"Kyoya!"

The voice was strained and hoarse, but it was undoubtedly Rachel's. Kyoya didn't give his next actions a second thought. He took two steps back and kicked open the door before the twins even had time to process what they had heard, much less react. Rushing inside, he took a quick note of the blood smears on the wall before rounding the tiny kitchenette. Rachel was lying in a heap on the floor. Her white shirt was torn and there was a thin line of blood running from her forehead where she had been hit. What caught his attention most however was the bloody mess that was her left arm.

For a moment he forgot himself and that was when he was attacked from behind. He felt a knife cut at the base of his throat, but the training he had endured under his family's security force had already taken over. He threw his head back and felt his skull break his attacker's nose. The knife disappeared from his throat as Kyoya turned to see a scraggily haired westerner stagger back, then run for the door. Kaoru attempted to stop him, but while he had sparred some with Hunny, he had never been the strongest of fighters. He dodged the man's flailing knife and was pushed back into Hikaru who, with a cry, had rushed forward to help his twin. They both fell back as the man ran out the door and down the hallway.

"Follow him and call the police!" Kyoya ordered with a shout. Kaoru came to his senses first and with a nod ran down the hall with Hikaru on his heels.

Kyoya knelt at Rachel's side, clamping his hand down on her left forearm and scanning the immediate area for something to bind it with. Finding nothing within arms reach he tore at the buttons on his shirt and managed to get it off himself without loosening his grip. He wrapped it tightly around her arm and continued to apply pressure as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone to call an ambulance. He had just hung up when Rachel began to stir.

"Rachel?" he said softly, pushing back her blond hair to see an ugly bruise forming at her right temple. "Rachel, wake up."

She did so slowly to the sound of Kyoya's firm coaxing. But when she finally regained consciousness all she could register was the feel of his weight on her arm. Panicking, she reacted violently, trying to hit him with her right arm. She landed a few blows to his face and left side as he struggled to keep his grip on her injured limb, which was starting to bleed through his shirt.

By now, people from the other rooms were beginning to peek through the shattered doorway with horrified expressions. Kyoya supposed he could understand. The blood streaked and splattered on the walls where Rachel had fought back were alarming, but their general lack of helpfulness touched a raw nerve in him. Still, he didn't have the luxury of berating them at the moment. Rachel was still fighting and his shoulder burned where she had just bit him. She was still functioning on automatic and he was sure in her mind she was fighting her attacker. He had to get her to come to her senses and quick. The last thing she needed was an elevated blood pressure.

"Rachel, calm down. It's me. It's Kyoya" he said, fending off another blow. She didn't seem to hear and brought her hand up, nails bared, to scratch his face. Catching her hand this time, he pinned it to her chest, bringing his face as close to hers as he could reasonably get without being bitten again.

"Rachel, listen to me. Listen to my voice. You're safe now. It's Kyoya." He said calmly. Gradually the wildness in her eyes began to fade and he could feel some of the tension leave her body as he continued to try and calm her.

"Remember?" he said. "I'm picking you up for the convention."

The light returned to her eyes. "The convention." She said slowly, processing the words.

Encouraged, he continued to talk, trying to keep the calm note in his voice. Something he found increasingly difficult to maintain as he noted the amount of blood around her.

"You were going to give a presentation. I was coming to watch."

She looked up, met his eyes, and suddenly every last bit of fight left in her drained away as her head slumped back to the floor. "Kyoya?"

He let out a sigh of relief. "I'm here."

Her eyes went wild again. "Where is he? He was here…be careful…oh god Kyoya, he…."

He turned her face to his and leaned closer. "I know, he's gone. It's okay. There's an ambulance coming. You're going to be fine." He said, hoping he wasn't lying. He increased the pressure on her arm, wincing as she winced, and mentally cursed the ambulance in the three languages he knew. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was more likely a matter of minutes, the paramedics pushed through the crowd hovering at the door and took over.

A few minutes later he met Kaoru and Hikaru on the street as they were loading Rachel in the ambulance. They were nearly doubled over on the sidewalk, taking deep breaths and holding their sides.

"I'm sorry Kyoya, we lost him." Kaoru said with a genuine look of regret.

"But we called the police. They're searching for him now." Hikaru added breathlessly. "Damn, the man didn't look anywhere near as fast as he was!"

Kyoya considered this then nodded. "I'm going with Rachel. Call Tamaki and the others, tell them what happened."

"Is she going to be okay?" Kaoru asked anxiously.

"Yes." He said tightly as he climbed into the back of the ambulance.

Kaoru stared at the back of the vehicle as the sirens blared and it pulled away, then looked to his twin. Hikaru placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault he got away." He said.

"But…"

"It wasn't." Hikaru said firmly. He gave his brother a push. "Come on, let's call Tamaki."

* * *

><p>Kyoya waited impatiently for the doctor tending Rachel to emerge from surgery. She had been semi-conscious during the ride to the hospital but hadn't been lucid enough to really speak to him. One thing he was grateful for however, was that the nearest hospital was one owned by the Ootori foundation. Thanks to this, the finest surgeon on staff was now tending Rachel's wounds. He had secured the best rooms on premise for her, those normally reserved for dignitaries or high-paying businessmen. He had also called his father to inform him of what had happened and was grateful that his father had decided to take up the responsibility of informing Rachel's father of what had happened. He had not been relishing the thought of having to make that call.<p>

The police had arrived during all the bustle and he had managed to give them a fairly lucid account of what he remembered. He was sure he would be telling the story again to detectives, but for the moment, the police had taken care of the preliminaries, then left.

As the situation currently stood he had done all he could do and was stuck waiting. This part was the hardest. He was used to taking charge and even in a crisis, felt it was better to be doing something than simply waiting around being worried. Unfortunately, that was all he could do at the moment. So he paced.

A half hour passed and he was joined by Tamaki and the others, the former practically running down the hospital corridor to meet him.

To Tamaki's credit, he didn't hug him or otherwise try to comfort him which would have pushed him over the edge. Tamaki could be an idiot in everyday matters, but when life became serious, he miraculously always seemed to know what to do. Instead, he slowed his pace and stopped directly in front of him, his eyes uncharacteristically firm.

"How is she?" he asked as the others caught up and joined him.

"I don't know, she's still in surgery." Kyoya answered. "I'm waiting."

Tamaki nodded as Haruhi stepped forward. "You were hurt." She said. Anyone else would have considered it a blunt statement, but Kyoya knew her well enough to see the concern and slight fear in her eyes.

He absently touched his hand to the small bandage at the base of his throat. "Hardly more than a scratch. I'm fine." He reassured her.

She nodded but stepped closer to Tamaki and lightly took hold of his arm, finding reassurance in his uncommon calm.

"Has there been any news about who the guy was?" Kaoru asked.

Kyoya shook his head. "He's still on the run."

"He was a westerner, I could see that much." Hikaru chimed in. Kaoru nodded in agreement.

"And he stank. But I don't think that information will help the police much." He said with a shrug.

Tamaki seemed to consider this. "You never know. You and Hikaru were brave for trying to run him down." He added.

Kaoru blushed a bit but Hikaru elbowed him in the ribs. "I told you." He whispered. "Stop beating yourself up."

Kyoya watched this with a growing appreciation for his friends when his phone buzzed. It was his father. He gestured to Tamaki then turned away to answer the call.

Haruhi watched as Kyoya's posture grew increasingly tense.

"Are they sure?" he asked. "When?"

There was a short silence.

"How is that possible?"

An even longer silence.

"Yes, she knew about them but didn't seem to see them as a threat. Are the American's sure?"

He swore, then grimaced.

"My apologies father. No, she's not out of surgery yet…yes, I think it would be best if I told her first. I would suggest more security here though."

"Thank you…..yes, I'll keep you informed."

He flipped the phone shut but didn't turn around for a moment. Haruhi looked up at Tamaki who was watching his friend with concern. Finally, Kyoya turned around. His face was its usual calm indifference but there was a new edge to his eyes.

"What's wrong sempai?" she asked.

Kyoya answered but kept his gaze on Tamaki. "Rachel's father was attacked."

Tamaki's eyes went wide. "When?" he asked.

"A few hours ago." Kyoya said. He let the information settle for a moment.

"Just before Rachel was attacked." Haruhi said softly.

"A coordinated strike." Mori said quietly from the back of the group. He and Hunny shared a brief glance. People usually took the two for granted, especially Hunny, who was so cute in his presentation. But they came from warrior lines and their families had strong ties with the military both at home and abroad. They understood the implications of what Kyoya had just announced.

"Ootori-san?"

Kyoya turned to find Rachel's surgeon in the process of removing his mask. He made a short but formal bow. Kyoya reciprocated in the manner expected but was impatient to hear his news.

"Dr. Imai."

"Miss Bramm's is currently resting in the recovery ward. There were no complications during surgery and I am happy to report there will be no lasting damage to the mobility of her hand or arm due to the cuts."

"That's wonderful!" Tamaki beamed as the others breathed out a sigh of relief.

Kyoya agreed it was good news, but could tell there was something more the doctor was not saying. His suspicions were confirmed when Dr. Imai made a subtle gesture to a quiet area by the windows.

"If I could speak with you privately sir?" he asked. Kyoya nodded and followed the short doctor to a wide window overlooking Tokyo. Dr. Imai wasted no time once they settled.

"If I might ask sir, you were with Miss. Bramms after she was attacked?" he asked.

Kyoya nodded. "I found her, yes."

The doctor glanced briefly to Kyoya's throat then to the bite mark on his shoulder.

"And someone else besides." He mused.

Kyoya hid a grin. "The cut was from her attacker, the bite is hers."

Imai's eyes widened slightly. "Hers?"

"She was disoriented." Kyoya explained, which seemed to satisfy the doctor.

"You should get that looked at as well. Human bites are notorious for infection. But that's not why I asked to speak with you."

Kyoya nodded and waited.

"Normally I would be sharing this with a member of the family, but given your position and apparent relationship with the girl…" he trailed off, looking to Kyoya for confirmation.

"She is a close friend of the family. My father is taking full responsibility for her medical costs and care. You can count on my discretion."

The doctor nodded, apparently satisfied. "In that case there is something I noticed in surgery that I wanted to show you."

With this statement the doctor hurried to the nurse's station, bringing back a pen and paper. Leaning over the window sill he began to sketch out a crude symbol.

Kyoya's eyes widened as he began to recognize what was being drawn.

"Where did you see this?" he asked somewhat hoarsely.

Dr. Imai hesitated, "It was carved onto her left arm." he said gently.

Kyoya stood stock-still for a long while as the doctor waited patiently. Eventually he gathered his thoughts back together enough to ask, "Will there be scarring?"

The doctor nodded hesitantly. "Some, but as to how much I cannot say for sure. The cuts ran deep enough to cause significant bleeding and she was lucky you arrived when you did, but I honestly don't think whoever attacked her was trying to kill her."

Kyoya thought this over. "He was trying to maim her?"

"It would be my guess. If he had wanted to kill her then leaving a calling card, so-to-speak, it would have been far easier to kill her first then do the…ahem….cutting."

As much as the subject matter was turning his stomach, Kyoya forced the nausea down and employed his rational mind to what the doctor was saying. "So, he was trying to send a message? Is that what you're saying?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm not a detective, so I couldn't give you an answer to that. I can only tell you what I've seen and my medical opinion of it."

Kyoya frowned but had to accept the truth of the man's words. "Thank you Dr. Imai. Please be sure to tell the detectives what you've told me."

The doctor nodded. "I will."

"When can I see her?" he asked.

The doctor looked to the clock on the far wall. "The anesthesia should wear off in an hour or so. The nurses will be taking her to her room shortly. You can see her then."

Kyoya nodded then added somewhat belatedly as the doctor turned back to the surgery, "Thank you."

Dr. Imai bowed slightly then briskly passed through the swinging doors.

Tamaki and the others were anxiously watching him from across the room but Kyoya hesitated returning as he looked at the symbol Dr. Imai had sketched onto the page. He didn't want to believe what he was seeing but there was no mistaking the crude half circle with the three sharp lines cutting to its center. It was the logo of the Naturalists.

_Reviews most welcome :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_I wanted to thank Tbonechick2011 and Lozzy for their reviews. Writers (at least this one) can be a little sensitive about their work and it's nice when someone takes the time to send a brief note of appreciation. Thanks guys!_

Kyoya knocked softly on Rachel's hospital room door before a middle aged nurse allowed him admittance. The Ootori hospitals were famed for their comfortable surroundings but this room was a specimen in and of itself. Dark cherry woodwork lined the walls, meeting at a large window seat overlooking the courtyard below. The light from the window filled the room and came to rest on a wide king sized bed. The medical equipment behind its large frame was the height of technology but while other hospitals may have sought to advertise the fact, the Ootori's had chosen to artfully conceal it in several carefully sized cubbies behind the frame of the bed.

The nurse offered a chair but he declined, choosing instead to stand at the window.

"She should wake soon Ootori-san. Would you care for some tea while you wait?" the nurse whispered.

"No, thank you." He replied. She bowed, checked the chart one last time, and discreetly left the room.

Kyoya leaned against the window frame, tucked his hands into his pockets and stared out the window. One of the many reasons this room was prized was for its view of Mt. Fuji in the distance. Unfortunately the pollution of the city often made the mountain disappear. However, thanks to the clearing effect of the downpour yesterday, Fuji stood out clear and strong. It was a beautiful backdrop to the city.

In the twenty or so minutes it took for Rachel to wake, he changed into a fresh shirt the nurse brought for him and received a call from his father regarding Rachel's father. Like his daughter, Mr. Bramms was in the hospital and was expected to make a full recovery. Apparently his staff had gotten to him sooner than Kyoya had gotten to Rachel, and the attacker was not able to complete the disfiguration on his arm. Kyoya was grateful to have at least a bit of good news to tell Rachel. The attack and learning her father was in the hospital was going to be hard enough. She didn't need to be worrying about him as well.

There was a rustling of sheets and a faint groan. Kyoya looked up to see Rachel stirring in her bed and came over to sit on the edge. He reached out to brush her disheveled hair from her eyes but then thought the better of it. Better to let her come back to reality on her own.

Her eyes opened slowly. They were bloodshot and there were dark circles under her eyes but when she saw him she tried to smile.

"Hi."

"Welcome back."

Her eyes made a slow sweep of the room and the bed. She frowned.

"Where am I?"

"You don't remember what happened?" Kyoya asked, trying to keep the alarm out of his voice and forget the fact she had a head injury.

Her brow furrowed as she concentrated on trying to piece the last few hours of her life back together again.

"I remember getting ready in my hotel room." She started. "There was a knock on the door….I thought it was you…."

Realization suddenly dawned as she looked up at him. "But it wasn't." she choked out, the memories flooding back. "He pushed me inside, he kept cutting me. Then he hit me…."

Tears welled up in her eyes then spilled onto her cheeks. She brushed them away, trying to get her mind to focus. Kyoya watched silently, hating that she remembered, but knowing it had to be done.

"Then I woke up." She said. "I fought someone, then…" she looked up, then reached out and took a hold of his hand. "You were there." She said. Her eyes flickered downward.

"You saved me." She murmured, half to herself. Then she frowned and looked up at him. "Did I bite you?" she asked.

He couldn't help but smile at that. He pointed to his left shoulder. "You did indeed."

She ducked her head sheepishly. "Sorry."

He shrugged. "It was a small price to pay. Besides, you bite like a girl."

She chuckled and squeezed his hand a little tighter. "I don't remember much of what happened afterwards, it was all blurred lights and sirens. And a great deal of people making a fuss."

Kyoya nodded and motioned to her bandaged arm. "We need to talk about that. And I there's something I need to tell you."

Until now she had pointedly ignored the clean, white gauze which wrapped her left arm. Her gaze flickered to it then back up at him. She swallowed and took a calming breath. "Okay."

Kyoya was silent for a moment as he collected his thoughts, trying to determine how best to break the news of her father to her. Rachel waited expectantly, and as time passed her features grew more worried and frightened.

"Kyoya please, whatever it is, it can't be as bad waiting for you to say it."

He looked at her. "Very well. First of all, you need to know that your father is doing fine, he's much better off than you in fact."

Rachel's expression was confused, but as she processed the words it turned panicked and her hand squeezed his in a painful, almost vise-like grip. "Did something happen to him? Is he okay? What happened?" she said, pouring out the questions so quickly it was almost hard to recognize the questions. Her Japanese was sloppy when she was scared.

He raised a hand to try and calm her. "Listen to what I said. He's fine. He's expected to make a full recovery. But, yes, he was attacked. Just as you were and at nearly the same time."

Rachel didn't seem to be listening. Instead, she was waging a battle to control her breathing. The heart monitor was beeping at an increased rate. If she didn't get herself under control soon the nurse would be alerted and would most likely give her a sedative. It took a couple minutes but eventually she managed to calm herself down and the pressure on his hand eased. He resisted the urge to rub it.

"He's going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yes. My father spoke to him about an hour ago. In fact, he should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow."

Rachel nodded though she still wasn't meeting his eyes. "Alright." She said to herself, "Fine, that's good. As long as he's going to be okay."

Finally, she looked up. "What happened to him?"

Kyoya found himself annoyed. Anyone else would be more concerned with how they were doing, would want to what happened to them. Apparently not Rachel.

"For the most part, what happened to you." He said.

"He was cut?"

Kyoya nodded. "Same arm, same time, and the same…symbol."

She frowned. "Symbol?"

He took a deep breath. This next part wasn't going to be easy. "Remember our conversation yesterday, when I asked about the fringe group that's been threatening you lately?"

"The Naturalists? I remember. What do they have to do with it?"

"They attacked you."

Her expression was skeptical. "The Naturalist's?" She said slowly. "The same group who won't come within a mile of any major city? Somehow they managed to get one of their own on a plane to fly halfway around the world to one of the largest metropolises on the planet? Seems unlikely."

Now Kyoya was really annoyed. "It's their symbol on your arm Rachel. What better proof do you need?"

"How about something bit more logical?" she countered, pushing herself up on the bed with her good arm. "You said you were keeping tabs so I know you researched them. You know their creeds, their values. They abhor technology, in all its forms. This is a group that won't even use ball point pens for god's sake!"

"It's a fanatic fringe group. Logic doesn't always factor in." he argued.

They were close to yelling at each other now and they both realized it at the same time. Rachel looked away first, staring out the window for a few moments.

"You said it's their symbol cut into my arm?" she asked quietly.

"Yes."

"And my father suffered the same?"

"Yes and no. His people got to him faster than I got to you. The attacker wasn't able to complete his work."

She closed her eyes. "Thank god." She whispered, then turned and met his eyes again. "If they attacked us at the same time it couldn't have been just luck. They would have had to coordinate. Which means cell phones."

Kyoya agreed on this point, and it was a hole in his argument. Planning a simultaneous attack from two different parts of the world took the kind of communication only possible through cell phones. Not only that but Rachel's itinerary had changed drastically mid-stream when the convention was moved to Japan. That took communication and organization with what the Naturalists considered to be the "devil's seed" technology, such as computers. Still, he was convinced it was them and not some copycat.

"It's difficult to argue with hard evidence." He said, motioning to her arm. "And the American authorities suspect them as well. The man they captured isn't talking but I'm sure they will get a confession out of him eventually."

Rachel considered this, nodded, then yawned. "I still think you're wrong, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, can I talk to dad?" she asked hopefully.

Kyoya glanced at the door and pulled his phone from his back pocket. He was glad he had cleaned it before she woke up. Some of her blood had dried on it from earlier. He handed it over and she reached for it eagerly.

"Cell's aren't allowed up here but I'll keep an eye out for you. Just don't talk too loud. I'll knock twice on the door if I see anyone coming." He said and moved to the door.

Rachel nodded then reached out and caught his shirt sleeve as he rounded the bed to the door. "I didn't thank you."

Kyoya thought about this for a moment, then said, "Consider the possibility the Naturalists are responsible. That's thanks enough for the moment."

She shook her head. "We both know that's not enough. Someday I'll find a way to thank you in the way you deserve."

Kyoya wasn't sure how to respond to that so he shrugged and left the room. Arata was guarding the door as a substitute until his families security force arrived. Kyoya leaned against the opposite side and let out a long sigh. His shoulder was beginning to burn and he rubbed at it absently.

"It might be a good idea to get that looked at Ootori-san." Arata commented. "I'll be here to keep an eye on the young lady until you return."

Kyoya was about to wave the suggestion aside when he remembered the doctors warning about infection. "Perhaps you're right." He motioned to the closed door. "She's on a call to her father. If a nurse comes knock twice on the door to warn her."

Arata nodded and Kyoya slowly made his way down the hall to find someone who could attend to his arm. Not that he couldn't do it himself. He came from a family of doctors after all, but after the excitement of the morning, he just didn't have the energy to do it himself.

As he headed towards the nurses station he saw his father heading up the hall towards Rachel's room. He didn't wave or call out when he spotted his son, but he did quicken his pace. To Kyoya's surprise, his father's first question wasn't to ask about Rachel, but himself.

"Are you well?" he asked, looking his son over, his eyes pausing briefly at the sight of the bandage at his throat.

"Yes sir." He replied.

His father nodded his approval then looked to Rachel's door and the impassive Arata standing in front of it.

"And Miss Bramms?"

"Somewhat worse for wear physically, but otherwise quite well, considering."

"You told her of her father?"

"Yes sir. She was alarmed at first but calmed down once she realized he was alive and doing well."

"Her father was much the same. It took a great deal of persuading to convince him not to skip out of the hospital and board the next plane to Tokyo. In fact, I wanted to speak with you about that."

Kyoya nodded, then rubbed his shoulder and winced. The pain was getting worse. Rachel must have bit him harder than he thought. His expression was not lost on his father.

"What's wrong?" he asked firmly.

Kyoya shrugged. "Rachel bit me in her panic earlier. It's starting to sting."

His father frowned. "And the paramedics didn't address it?"

"There wasn't the time. I rode with Rachel and their attention was on her. They gave me a bandage for my throat though. I was just on my way to find a nurse to look at it."

His father abruptly took his arm and led him to a nearby treatment room. "Take off your shirt." He ordered as he removed his jacket and began to roll up his shirt sleeves.

Kyoya didn't argue. When his father turned and noted the blood splatters on his undershirt he frowned, but said nothing and began attending to his arm with the kind of gentle efficiency only doctors and nurses have. For all that he was a ruthless businessman, the head of the Ootori group started out as a doctor.

"As I was saying," he continued as he worked. "After I called you I spoke with Mr. Bramms again. It took a great deal of convincing to keep him from boarding a plane right away."

Kyoya nodded, then bit back a hiss as his father began disinfecting the bite.

"For the time being I have managed to assure him his daughter is safe in our care. And for your role in that he wanted to thank you. You did well."

It was not often his father complimented him.

"Thank you father." Kyoya replied, knowing well enough not to make a big deal out of it, no matter how big of a deal it actually was.

"If there are no further complications Miss Bramms will be released from the hospital tomorrow. And for the immediate future, she will be staying with us."

This surprised Kyoya. His father rarely invited visitors to stay at their home. Even valuable business partners usually stayed in a hotel. His father would pay for a five star accommodation of course, but still, he was a private man and rarely entertained guests.

"We have the necessary security available to us to keep her safe for the time being. Both her father and myself agree it will be safer for her here than in America, where those fanatics are growing in number. The fact she was attacked today was a fluke, brought on by poor trip planning and preparation . They will not have access to her again."

Kyoya considered this and had to agree. Rachel had always been free spirited and for all of her scientific genius, she still was woefully naïve when it came to the dark side of human nature. She moved about like a hippy, convinced those around her had, for the most part, good intentions. He had always found that aspect of her both appealing and aggravating, even when they were children.

"Convincing her to stay is going to be a challenge." He mused.

"Perhaps. But she is not yet of legal age in her country and her father has entrusted her to my care for the time being. Until she reaches eighteen I can keep her here."

"That's only a few months away." Kyoya reminded him.

His father frowned. "If the American's do their jobs properly this problem will be solved by then. In the meantime, I suggest you make preparations for her arrival."

The bite had been cleaned and dressed and now his father was prepping a small needle. "This will help fight any residual infection. However, if you begin to experience fevers tell me or one of your brother's immediately." He said as he unceremoniously plunged the small needle into his arm.

"Yes sir." He answered through gritted teeth. How he hated needles.

Afterwards, as he was pulling on his shirt a thought occurred to him. "Should I enroll her in Ouran?"

"No. In fact, the less time she spends away from the house the better. Try to keep her there as much as you can."

Kyoya thought of Rachel's disposition and had to bite back a mirthful laugh. It wasn't likely that was going to happen.

"She won't enjoy being…restricted."

His father pulled on his coat. "She doesn't have much of a choice in the matter. I'm assuming she wants to live?"

Kyoya understood and even agreed with his fathers point but he was also a realist. Rachel would fight such an order and she was creative enough to make all of their lives difficult as a result. A compromise would go a long way to making life easier.

"I agree she shouldn't wander the school. That could be dangerous if an outsider were able to gain access. But it might be beneficial to allow her to come to the club."

His father's eye twitched. The host club was still a sore spot between the two of them. Still, he was fair about listening. "How so?"

"It would be easy for security to keep an eye on the room. And it would give her something to do as well as get her out of the house once in awhile. I know it's been a long time but you do remember what happens when she gets bored?" he asked, knowing it wasn't likely his father forgotten the time Rachel had set fire to his rooms.

In all fairness, it had been pure accident. Rachel was a prodigy even when he first met her and with no mother to regulate matters, her father had catered to her every curiosity, especially as it applied to the sciences. Which is how an eleven year old girl happened to come by a fully functional chemistry lab in the middle of her house. Unfortunately, it also happened to be next to one of the guest rooms. The very room his father was unlucky enough to be staying in that night.

What happened was a source of mild contention between their parents for the next couple of years. But the bare bones of the story was that Rachel had been grounded, she was bored, and therefore decided to experiment with a new type of clean burning gasoline.

The experiment had not gone according to plan.

His father winced. "Yes, I see your point. By all means, bring her to the club. But be sure she understands fully the situation."

Kyoya bowed slightly. "Of course, thank you father."

His father turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway.

"And Kyoya?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Keep her away from flammable chemicals while she's with us."

Kyoya smirked. "Yes father."

_Reviews most welcome :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Enjoy!  
><em>

The next few days presented a flood of changes to Rachel as she was released from the hospital and continued her recovery at the Ootori estate. Not the least of which was the continuing presence of the host club. Tamaki and the others seemed to take her recovery and entertainment on as a group challenge, though why they felt this was their responsibility she could hardly say. They arrived every day after school and club activities the first week, ready and willing to help. And while their idea of help tended to cause more problems than solutions, she couldn't help but love them for their well intended efforts.

Haruhi was perhaps the exception in this bunch, and brought useful things like home-cooked meals, books, and games. The others, upon seeing the effect this had on her, followed suit in what she was learning was a typical over-enthusiastic effort and soon Rachel was practically swimming in food and books. As for Kyoya, he seemed to be taking the invasion of his home in stride, almost as though he expected it. Perhaps he did.

As she lounged on one of the window seats in the Ootori living room, watching the twins act out a scene from what she was assured was traditional Japanese play-though their twincest additions made her skeptical-she thought of her friend and the reassuring presence he had been. It was Kyoya who arranged for her laptop and other belongings to be brought from her hotel room. And it was Kyoya who had stayed with her, without a hint of complaint for the first two days she was at his home. His father checked in on her from time to time, but had otherwise kept his distance. It was the same with Kyoya's older brothers. They were busy young men and when they weren't working they tended to go straight to their beds. She supposed this was all for the best, since she really didn't know them all that well. She had met them only once when she was a young girl, during the one time she and her father had traveled to Japan.

The thought of her father sent a pang of worry through her and she quickly tried to push it down. She skyped with him daily and while he was recovering well, she knew him well enough to see the stress he was under. He never mentioned his attack, or the precautions he had had to take in the past few days, but she knew the strain was wearing on him. Over the last week five more prominent scientists and one doctor had been attacked in America, all of them having the Naturalists symbol cut into their left arms. While she still didn't understand why or how they were doing this, she could no longer deny the groups involvement. Having to admit this to Kyoya had been a blow to her pride, but the evidence was indisputable. To his credit, he had only nodded and said nothing more.

"Rachel-san!" the Hikaru complained.

Rachel shook herself from her thoughts and smiled apologetically to Hikaru, who held a fainting Kaoru.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I drifted off, didn't I?"

Kaoru opened one eye and looked at her. "This is the most important part of the play. You'll miss it if you don't pay attention."

She wasn't sure whether to laugh or blush, since the scene Kaoru was referencing seemed to involve the two brother's kissing, or something very near it. She waved them on.

"I'll pay attention this time." She said, with a muffled laugh she couldn't hold back.

But Hikaru seemed to take this wrong and instead pulled his brother upright with a grumble. "Forget it, the magic is lost."

Kaoru looked from Hikaru then to Rachel and gave her a reassuring smile. Hikaru offended easily, but he tended to forget those same offenses just as easily. As they moved off to pester Tamaki at the piano, Haruhi came to sit at her side, bringing a plate of rice balls with her.

"I made these this morning Rachel-san, would you like one?"

Rachel reached for one eagerly. Haruhi's cooking was something she looked forward to every day. "I'm going to turn into a blimp if you keep feeding me this well."

Haruhi blushed. "They're only rice balls."

"You give yourself far too little credit." Rachel said, grabbing a second one before the rest of the host club descended on the plate, which was sure to be soon. She looked at Haruhi thoughtfully as she chewed. A questioned had been bothering her for the past week and she felt she was familiar enough with Haruhi by now to ask.

"Haruhi-san?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Curious, Haruhi set down the plate. "I don't mind Rachel-san."

Rachel hesitated and glanced over to the rest of the group, who were standing at the piano watching the twins try to interrupt Tamaki's playing. "Why do you wear a boys uniform? And why does the host club keep referring to you in male terms? I thought at first that I was misunderstanding the language. I'm still learning after all. But I looked it up last night and it seems I was hearing them right."

Haruhi's eyes had grown wider as she spoke and for a moment Rachel panicked, fearing she had just grievously insulted her new friend. Surely Haruhi wasn't a boy. It wasn't possible. But the look on Haruhi's face was beginning to make her doubt her own eyes.

She was just about to make a groveling apology when Haruhi looked down and asked, in a low voice, "How did you know?"

Now it was Rachel's turn to be surprised. Everything about Haruhi screamed female. From her size, to the delicate bone structure of her face, to the way she carried herself. "How could I not?" she blurted out. Blushing, she waved to the host club and quietly added, "They know?"

Haruhi nodded. "Since the beginning." She looked at Tamaki and smiled. "Well, almost since the beginning. I'm pretending to be a boy so I can work at the host club."

At Rachel's confused expression Haruhi laughed. "I know, it's weird. At first I joined to repay a debt, but I have to admit, I'm doing it now for the fun. These guys," she said, waving to the club, "they grow on you. Whether you want them too or not."

Rachel smiled, but still looked confused. "But the girls, surely they know? Or am I misunderstanding what a host club is?"

Haruhi laughed ruefully. "You're not. And no, they don't. Though I think a few of them suspect. But if they do, they say nothing. They like the fantasy I guess."

Rachel nodded but still felt as though she were missing something. Kyoya wandered over from the piano and joined them, taking a rice ball from Haruhi. They watched in mutual fascination as the twins sabotaged Tamaki's beautiful playing by playing odd keys or poking their fingers in between Tamaki's long, slender ones, interrupting the flow of the piece. The more flustered Tamaki became, the more they laughed and interfered. Finally, Tamaki fled the piano in tears, hiding himself in a corner as the twins snickered. Haruhi stood with a sigh and made her way over to Tamaki.

The scene was becoming a familiar one to Rachel. The twins liked to tease anyone who would react and Tamaki, gullible soul that he was, couldn't help but respond. It made her want to throw her shoes at the two troublemakers sometimes, but since this all seemed par-for-course among the friends, she held back. They always made up in the end after all. And Haruhi was right, this group, especially the twins, seemed to grow on a person.

Kyoya took Haruhi's place next to Rachel and together they watched Haruhi gently chide Tamaki for being "a sensitive child". Eventually she managed to pry him from his corner and lead him back to the piano where she further scolded the twins for their behavior. Rachel smiled.

"Haruhi has a full time job with those three." She said.

Kyoya nodded his agreement. "I often wonder why Haruhi stays in the club now that the debt is paid up."

"She says you all have grown on her."

Kyoya looked over to her in surprise. "You know about Haruhi?"

"We just discussed it. Honestly, I don't know how you think she can keep up this illusion of her being male. She's obviously not." Rachel replied.

Kyoya though about this then shrugged. "Preconception can be a powerful thing. Besides, you didn't see her when she first started school. She was practically sexless."

Rachel glared at him, but Kyoya seemed nonplussed. "I'm not exaggerating. The irony of the situation is that in pretending to be a boy she has become more attractive as a girl."

Rachel sighed and shook her head in wonder. "Your host club confuses me."

Kyoya actually laughed at this. "It confuses a lot of people. But it keeps going." He paused for a moment, then looked at her. "Actually, I was thinking it might good for you to come to one of the club activities."

The prospect of leaving the house brought a spark to Rachel's eyes, but then she frowned. "I won't lie, I'd love to get out of the house. But…"

"What?"

She looked up at him. "I won't have to wear one of those yellow dresses will I?"

He smirked then shook his head. "No."

She let out a breath of relief. "Good. The girls look cute in them, but I'm so tall, I'm afraid I'd come off looking like a giant canary."

"I was thinking more along the lines of an overgrown banana."

"Very funny."

He shrugged. "You can come tomorrow if you like."

She grinned. "Give me liberty or give me death." She meant for the quote to be light-hearted, but she realized the mistake of her words the moment they left her mouth. Kyoya's head jerked over, his features hardened.

"Not amusing." He said sternly.

"It was just a joke Kyoya."

"You've come entirely too close to death recently for me to find that funny."

He was right. As traumatic as her experience had been for her, she knew it had been hard on him as well. She could only imagine how difficult it had been for him to find her like he did. Her way of dealing with may be to try and forget or make light of it, but Kyoya had always been a serious person, ever since they were children. As much as that side of him irritated her sometimes, she knew she was lucky to count him as a friend, especially now. She laid a hand gently on his arm. He flinched, but didn't pull away.

"I'm sorry. That was in poor taste."

His features softened, but she could tell he was still irritated. Fortunately, the twins had become bored again and wandered over, arms slung around each others shoulders. With their free hands they reached over and each snagged one of Haruhi's rice balls.

"We're bored." Kaoru said, taking a bite of the rice.

"So we're leaving." Hikaru added.

Grateful for the distraction, Kyoya turned his attention to them. "Very well. But before you leave you should know that Rachel-san will be joining us tomorrow at the club."

From across the room Tamaki let out a happy shout, then ran over, dragging a protesting Haruhi with him. "How wonderful!" he exclaimed and turned to the twins. "We must have a proper welcome waiting for her."

The twins looked from Rachel to Kyoya to Tamaki, then grinned.

"You got it boss." they answered.

It wasn't so much the words used, it was the way they said it that make Rachel shiver. Still, it wasn't her club, it was theirs. Like it or not, she was going to have to put up with whatever they decided on for tomorrow. It would be worth it just to get out of the house for a few hours. The house was pleasant, in its Spartan way, but she had never been one for staying idle for long. Typically she didn't sleep more than five or six hours a day, so she was left with a great deal of free time on her hands. With no lab nearby to tinker in, she wasn't particularly enjoying it.

The host club tomorrow would, at the very least, be a distraction. One she welcomed, even if it did mean some embarrassment on her part. Haruhi however seemed to be alarmed by the twins assurances and pulled Rachel aside before she left.

"Prepare yourself. Those two have a mean streak when they're bored."

* * *

><p>Later that evening Kyoya was finishing the last of his homework for the day when there was a knock at his door. He opened it to find Rachel holding a white roll of gauze in her left hand and a thin box in her right. She tossed the roll to him.<p>

"It's your favorite time of the day." She said as she walked in and sat herself down on his sofa. She set the box down on the low table in front of her and peered down at his homework.

"Statistics?" she mused as she picked up the textbook, thumbing through the pages.

Kyoya sat next to her and took the book from her hands. "I know what you're thinking, and my answer is no."

Rachel grinned. "You really should reconsider. I'm a great tutor."

"I'm doing perfectly fine on my own." He said.

"You do everything on your own. Besides, the book is boring. There are so many entertaining applications of statistics I could show you."

"I doubt my teachers will appreciate your creative influence." He said, with a tone of finality. Rachel rolled her eyes and tossed her hands in the air.

"I give up, you boring man."

"Good." Kyoya held the gauze up. "Are you ready?"

She sat up and held out her left arm. Kyoya unwrapped the dressing carefully, moving slowly as he removed it from her injured arm. She hissed slightly as the last of the gauze caught on her stitches.

Kyoya glanced up at her. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

Every night for the past week Kyoya had helped her with her bandages. She supposed she could have done it herself, she certainly had enough experience thanks to the medical research she had done over the past few years. However, unmasking the new scars unnerved her. Kyoya seemed to know this instinctively and had, for the first two days, shown up at her door every evening. Without a word he had changed the dressing himself. One the third night she had shown up at his door instead. Thus, they had begun a routine of passing the evenings together.

He gripped her wrist lightly and turned it towards the light. "It's healing nicely." He said.

She nodded. "But it itches. A good sign I guess, it's healing. But it makes it hard to sleep some nights."

"I could ask my father to prescribe you a sleep aide."

Rachel made a face. "No thanks."

Kyoya shrugged and they settled into silence as he began re-wrapping her arm. He was surprisingly deft and gentle at the work. She supposed coming from a family of doctors tended to rub off on a person.

"Kyoya?"

"Hmmn?"

"I am sorry you know. About what I said earlier."

He paused and looked up. "I reacted poorly. But I wish you would take what has happened more seriously than you do Rachel."

"You think I don't understand my situation?" she said trying to keep her voice neutral. She really didn't want to fight with him again but his words touched a nerve.

"I think you try to avoid thinking about it."

"Well, that's rather hard to do, considering I see this everyday." She said, jerking her left arm up. He caught it and held it still.

"Rachel…"

At first he thought she was going to resist, but then the fight seemed to leave her and she sighed, sinking back into the couch. "Forget it." She said.

Unsure of what to say, Kyoya worked on. He knew Rachel was under a lot of stress and didn't want to push her too much, but neither did he think she was giving what had happened enough consideration. He tried a different tactic.

"How's your father?"

She considered this for a moment. "Tired." She said. "But still working. Another scientist was attacked today."

Kyoya nodded. "I heard."

"I don't understand it Kyoya. Why are they doing this? What do they possibly have to gain? And why now?"

"I don't know. Every egg has to hatch sometime though."

"And you think their incubation period is over?" she said with a rueful smile.

"Perhaps."

He finished securing the last of the gauze and with a slight pang of regret, released her wrist. She smiled her thanks then rubbed her face with her hands. "I should be back there with him. Not cooling my heels here." She mumbled.

"Your father wouldn't be able to concentrate if you we're back in America. You know that. There's too much of a chance of those fanatics getting to you."

She dropped her hands and stared at him. "Exactly my point. If I we're to be in danger back home then it means he is too. Perhaps more so. We should be facing this together but instead he's out there on the front lines while I'm safe and sound, tucked away in Switzerland."

"The last time I checked, Japan did not play host to the Alps."

"You know what I mean."

"I know. But there's nothing you can do about it."

She gave him an incredulous look.

"Legally." He amended.

That elicited a laugh from her and she sat forward again, reaching for the box she had set on the table. "I turn eighteen in two months Kyoya. Remember that. As much as I enjoy your company, the moment I'm legally an adult, I'm on the first plane back to the states."

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten."

She grinned and tapped the top of the box. "Enough gloom and doom for the time being." She said as she lifted the lid to reveal a weathered GO game board. She looked up at him expectantly. "Haruhi brought this for me today. Three guesses as to what you're teaching me tonight."

The rest of the evening passed in relative peace. Rachel picked up the rules and basic idea of the game quickly. One of the perks of being a prodigy he supposed. But the game, like chess, was ancient, multi-layered, and dependent upon strategy. And he had been playing it for a long time. It was going to be awhile until she won a game.

As they played he couldn't help but mull the questions she raised over in his mind. Like her, he didn't know what the Naturalists hoped to gain by what they were doing. They had released no statement or list of demands, and the few members the authorities had in custody weren't talking. The group simply seemed set upon terrorizing the scientific elite. This worried him. A declaration of intent he could work with. But seemingly irrational acts of violence? That was harder to plan against.

He hoped the American's would gain a lead soon. They needed answers.

_Well, there it is. I'll be starting chapter 6 in the next couple of days. Please let me know what you guys think, it helps me as I'm writing future chapters. Especially in regards to Kyoya and Rachel's characters. I feel like I'm missing something in Kyoya's character but I can't quite pin down what it is. Also, can anyone tell me if Rachel's turning into a Mary Sue? I need to guard against that. She's a key part of the story but I want her to be just that, a part of the story, not the point of it. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, hope you're enjoying out there!_

_Curious Fan  
><em>


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